Minute to Win It games have become synonymous with fun and exhilarating challenges. These games are designed to test participants’ skills, speed, and precision in a matter of mere seconds. Since the games suit all ages, are easy to set up, and keep everyone engaged with their fast-paced nature, they can be perfect for family reunions.
In this post, we’ve compiled a list of over 20 Minute to Win It games that can inject a dose of laughter and competition into your family reunion.
1. Spoon Frog
This challenge combines balance and coordination. Hold a ping-pong ball on a spoon in your mouth and hop to the finish line. Elderly family members can skip hopping and focus on balancing the ball on the spoon.
What you’ll need for the game:
KEVENZ Assorted Color Table Tennis Balls
- Ping-pong balls
- Spoon
2. Face the Cookie
This one is quite amusing and works well for a large group as you can all play at the same time. Use only your facial muscles to slide a cookie from your forehead to your mouth. The one who finishes first gets points either for themself or for the group if you’re playing in teams.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Cookies
3. Stack Attack
You can play this game individually or in teams. In the individual version, stack plastic cups into a towering pyramid as fast as you can, and then quickly deconstruct the pyramid back to a single stack within a minute. Another option is to work together to build a pyramid of plastic cups and then race to return them to a single stack, passing the cups to your teammates.
What you’ll need for the game:
Solo Assorted 18-Ounce Color Plastic Cups
- Plastic cups
- Timer (1-minute sand timer or a digital timer with an alarm)
4. Balloon Pop
Attach balloons to your ankles and try to pop your opponents’ balloons with your hands while protecting your own. This playful challenge adds a twist to the classic game of tag.
What you’ll need for the game:
100 Pack Balloons Assorted Colors with Balloon Pump
5. Bounce the Balloon
Here’s another balloon challenge for your family. This is a Minute to Win It variation on the classic bounce-the-balloon game. Inflate a balloon, drop it on the ground, set a one-minute timer, and challenge the participants to keep bouncing the balloon without letting it touch the ground until the time is up.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Balloons
- Timer (1-minute sand timer or a digital timer with an alarm)
6. Junk in the Trunk
This one comes with a lot of wiggling and giggling. Strap an empty tissue box filled with ping-pong balls to your backside, and use your dance moves to empty out those balls. It’s a hilarious challenge that’s sure to have everyone laughing.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Tissue box
- Ping-pong balls
7. Bite the Bag
This Bite the Bag game needs only one simple prop—a paper bag. The aim is to pick up a paper bag from the ground using only your mouth—and remember, no body parts other than your feet can touch the floor. This challenge can be especially fun for younger family members.
What you’ll need for the game:
8. Noodle Pick Up
In this fun Minute to Win It game, you’ll be using uncooked spaghetti and penne pasta. Arrange the pasta pieces along the edge of the table and use a spaghetti noodle clenched between your teeth to pick up the pieces hands-free by pulling the spaghetti through the penne. Whoever scoops up more pieces earns the points for their team.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Spaghetti
- Penne pasta
9. Suck It Up
For this delicious challenge, you’ll need straws and M&Ms. With a straw in your mouth, inhale to pick up the M&Ms, then transfer them from one plate to another. Play in teams, and the team with the most M&Ms on their plate when the one-minute timer ends wins.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Drinking straws
- M&Ms
- Plates
10. Ping-Pong Madness
Ping-Pong Madness is a thrilling game where you inflate a balloon and use it to knock over a pyramid of plastic cups. Your challenge is to clear the cups within a minute. This one can be played in teams (with each team joining forces to topple the pyramid) or individually.
What you’ll need for the game:
11. Tissue Tug of War
The Minute to Win It version of Tug of War asks for some skillful movements and persistence. The task is to pull tissues from a box using only one hand while your other hand is behind your back. When the timer sounds after one minute, the person or team with the most tissues wins points.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Box of tissues
- Timer (1-minute sand timer or a digital timer with an alarm)
12. Bottle Flip
Perfect your bottle-flipping skills in the Bottle Flip challenge. Your goal is to expertly flip a water bottle and land it upright on a table or surface. This requires precise control and finesse.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Empty water bottle
13. Penny Tower
Using only a popsicle stick held in your mouth, your task is to stack pennies into the tallest tower possible. Start by placing one penny on the end of the popsicle stick and keep adding the pennies while balancing the popsicle stick. Use your concentration and a steady hand to ensure the tower is upright. Whoever can stack up more pennies in one minute wins the game.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Popsicle sticks
- Pennies
- Timer (1-minute sand timer or a digital timer with an alarm)
14. Marshmallow Toss
In Marshmallow Toss, the goal is to throw marshmallows into a cup a few feet away using an underhand toss. Each successful toss earns points, and the player or the team who earns the most points within a one-minute timeframe wins. To level up the challenge, use mini marshmallows for tossing.
What you’ll need for the game:
15. Ping-Pong Bounce
What you’ll need to prepare for this challenge are pieces of bread, peanut butter, and ping-pong balls—it’s a weird combo but bear with us 🙂 Bounce ping-pong balls onto a piece of bread covered with peanut butter and aim to get as many balls to stick as possible before the minute runs out. It’s a quirky and sticky challenge that requires a steady hand.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Bread
- Peanut butter
- Ping-pong balls
- Timer (1-minute sand timer or a digital timer with an alarm)
16. Hands-Free Unwrapping
Give each player oven mitts and challenge them to unwrap candy pieces. The one who unwraps the most candies in a minute is the winner. This can also be done with a wrapped present or an item wrapped in cellophane or wrapping paper, so you can pretty much improvise with what you have in your home.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Candy pieces
- Wrapping paper
- Timer (1-minute sand timer or a digital timer with an alarm)
17. Chopstick Champion
Prepare chopsticks and cereal for a speedy challenge. The mission is to transfer as many pieces of cereal or other round foods like Cheerios or jelly beans from one bowl to another, all within a single minute. Use your chopstick skills to snatch, carry, and drop the items for a quick win.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Chopsticks
- Cereal
- Timer (1-minute sand timer or a digital timer with an alarm)
18. Rice Transfer Challenge
Step up your chopstick game with a game that tests patience. Give players two bowls and a pair of chopsticks. As the timer begins, the challenge is to use chopsticks to transfer the rice from one bowl to another. The winner is the player who successfully fills the second bowl with the most rice.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Chopsticks
- Bowls
- Rice
- Timer (1-minute sand timer or a digital timer with an alarm)
19. Ponginator Challenge
Grab an empty egg carton and 12 ping pong balls and you’re all set for this challenge. Your task is to bounce the ping pong balls into the egg carton within one minute. It’s up to you to decide how many balls need to end up in the carton for the win, or whether you’ll declare the winner after one minute based on who managed to get more balls into the egg carton.
What you’ll need for the game:
20. Puddle Jumper
Arrange a line of plastic cups (make sure they’re touching) and fill them with water to the top. Place a ping pong ball on the first cup. Each player takes a turn blowing the ping pong ball along the cups, aiming to reach the end without it falling off. Once the ping pong ball reaches the last cup, start with a new ball. The goal is to move as many ping-pong balls as you can through the line in one minute.
What you’ll need for the game:
21. Cereal Jigsaw
This activity requires only a cereal box and scissors. Begin by cutting the front of the cereal box into smaller pieces. Tailor the size of the pieces based on the players’ ages—smaller for adults and larger for children. Scatter the cut pieces across a flat surface, creating your jigsaw puzzle. Players must use their wits and observation skills to piece together the cereal box front. The first player to successfully reconstruct the front of the cereal box wins the game.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Cereal box
- Scissors
22. Book Race
Set up a mini race track using duct tape to mark the start and finish lines. Players start at the first line, placing a book on their heads, and race to the finish without using their hands to steady the book. If the book falls, they restart. The winner is the first to finish or complete the most circuits back and forth. You can play this game both inside and outside.
What you’ll need for the game:
- Books
- Duct tape (optional)
Conclusion
These Minute to Win It games guarantee loads of fun and excitement that will make your family reunion memorable. From funny face challenges to tricky precision tests, these games suit different skills and interests so that everyone has a blast. You can also get a game set such as the Minute of Fun, which includes everything you need to set up games. If you want more game ideas in addition to Minute to Win It challenges, here is a list of over 50 family reunion games as well as some prizes for family reunion games you can use for motivators.
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